KAMAREDDY: The State Animal Husbandry department aims to improve the rural economy by promoting dairy activity in villages. As part of these efforts, officials started a pilot project in Kamareddy district to increase cow birth rate in rural areas by providing sex-sorted semen through an artificial insemination programme. The initiative aims to help achieve another ‘White Revolution’. The pilot project achieved a 94% success rate, prompting the department to implement the programme in all districts throughout the State.
“Cow rearers believe that the new programme is bringing Mahalakshmi to their houses,” said Dr Bharath, Joint Director (JD) of the Kamareddy district Animal Husbandry department. In rural areas, people believe that owning a cow is beneficial as it provides milk to sell and earn money. However, if the cow gives birth to a male calf, they feel burdened. To increase cow birth rate, they selected 10 villages under different mandals in the district and examined 500 cows. They have provided sex-sorted semen for 160 cows and achieved a success rate of 94% .
The selected villages are Yerrapahad (Yerrapahad), Kondapur (Rajampet), Lingampally (Sadashivanagr), Chinnamallareddy (Narsannapally), Yellampet (Machareddy), Mothe (Yerrapahad), Thippapur (Bhiknoor), Koyyagutta (Banswada), Mamdapur (Mamdapur), and Karadpally (Yerrapahad). As of now, 133 cows have given birth to females and eight to males.
The officials plan to implement the artificial insemination programme using special equipment provided by organisations like Andhra Labs. The department spent Rs 2,000 on each cow under the pilot project. Once the cows become eligible for reproduction, the officials provide sex-sorted semen to them, and within 15 days, they conceive and give birth after nine months.
The officials provide sex-sorted semen to cows according to their owners’ preferences, offering Swadeshi and hybrid semen. The villagers prefer Swadeshi cows because they have high market value. Semen from Sahiwal, Jersey, and Jharkhand bulls is given to the cows. Each cow can give 20 litres of milk per day, helping villagers increase their income.
According to Dr Devendar, assistant director of the Animal Husbandry department, the price of each ranges from Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000. The officials believe that this initiative will lead to the achievement of another White Revolution in the State.
Pilot project
Pilot project’s success prompts the dept to implement the programme in all the districts
Dr Bharath, Joint Director of the Kamareddy Animal Husbandry department, said: “Cow rearers believe that the new programme is bringing Mahalakshmi to their homes.”